Author: Staff Writer

Huawei South Africa has partnered with the MTN SA Foundation and the Department of Social Development, supporting digital access and ICT skills development for the Letlhakeng Community in the North West Province. The MTN SA Foundation donated a state of the art 20-seater multimedia centre to the Letlhakeng Community Care Centre, inclusive of data connectivity for 24 months and ICT training for staff members. Huawei further supported the centre with up-skilling of 40 young people with ICT, Coding and Robotics training and provided them with Huawei Pads (Tablets). Huawei and MTN also contributed to 200 Christmas food hampers for vulnerable…

Remgro has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets and its shares will be available for trade from 3 January 2022. Remgro will retain its primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and its issued share capital will be unaffected by its secondary listing on A2X. Originally established in the 1940s, Remgro is a well-known South African investment holding company with interests in a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer products, financial services, infrastructure, industrial and media industries. Investments include Mediclinic International plc (44.6%), Rand Merchant Investment Holdings Limited (30.6%), Community Investment Ventures Holdings Proprietary Limited…

The imminent arrival of 2022 will mark the 16th year since the incomplete introduction of number portability in South Africa. The Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has had a decade and a half, plus one year, to fully implement number portability. Yet, while over one million geographic numbers and eight million mobile numbers have been ported, it remains impossible to port non-geographic numbers used by local businesses, non-profit organisations and consumers for toll-free, shared-cost, premium rate and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services (i.e. numbers starting with 0800, 0860, 0861, 0862 and 087). According to ICASA, the latest delay…

As part of its multi-million Rand investment in agriculture, Microsoft South Africa has selected The Awareness Company as the beneficiary of its AgriTech Programme. The Awareness Company will develop and roll out three high-impact solutions in the agriculture sector within the next year – positively impacting one of the country’s critical sectors, helping to drive growth and job creation. The AgriTech Programme’s main objective is to drive digital transformation in the agriculture sector by collaborating with a technology company that will develop high impact solutions and empower smallholder farmers. South African smallholder farmers face various challenges that prevent them from…

The holidays are nearly here and with them the desire to treat yourself or a loved one to an upgraded phone, just because. The first question you’re likely to ask yourself as you browse new models is “To 5G or not to 5G?” Once you check the Ookla 5G Map to see if your operator has deployed 5G in your area, you’ll probably want to know if the 5G speeds are worth the extra cost. Ookla has analysed Speedtest Intelligence data from the most popular Android and iPhone devices around the world during Q3 2021 to help you see if it’s worth…

Superside, which operates a network of freelance creatives that are tapped by companies to work on logos, display ads, packaging, bigger marketing campaigns and other design-based efforts, has bagged $30 million or R637 million. The Series A funding round co-led by Prosus Ventures and Lugard Road Capital. Prosus Ventures is the venture investing arm of Prosus, which is majority-owned by global consumer internet group Naspers. The funding will help fund Superside to expand in South Africa. Through its unique subscription model, Superside connects companies with a dedicated team of vetted, award-winning designers and project managers to provide quality design work,…

On 1 November this year, South Africa welcomed the introduction of the DebiCheck payment system to tighten measures against debit order fraud and abuse. But as with many new policies and procedures, there has been adoption, but it is far from universal. According to Andrew Springate, CEO of PAYM8, a technology and financial gateway service provider, “A lot of information around why DebiCheck has been introduced has been shared since 2018, but there’s still a great deal to be done by all parties to drive widescale adoption and avoid the inevitable headaches that come with not having DebiCheck in place.”…

There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic with legally enforceable lockdowns to expose the public sector’s dependence on ageing digital infrastructure. While the devastating SolarWinds “sunburst” attack made headlines in 2020 for its impact on private corporations like Cisco and Microsoft, it affected public sector entities like NATO and the UK government, which wield great power and extremely sensitive data. In Africa, there has been a proliferation of cyberattacks on state-owned organisations, such as transport and critical infrastructure, in the past 18 months, indicating the public sector is a lucrative target. Public sector has come under increased threat during the…

Cisco South Africa has this month launched two Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town, offering local customers closer access to the cloud anytime, anywhere. “South Africa is a key market for Cisco and this level of investment underscores our commitment to the region,” says Garsen Naidu, general manager for Cisco in sub-Saharan Africa. “South Africa is also an important market for Cisco in the country’s goals to service multinational companies (MNCs), due to its unique geographical location, emerging economy and access to the sub-Saharan market. A local data centre in country will provide…

Cassava Technologies, Africa’s first integrated tech company of continental scale, today announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mitsui, one of Japan’s largest global conglomerates. Cassava Technologies and Mitsui share a common vision of facilitating digital transformation across Africa. The partnership will bring together the technology, expertise and networks of both organisations to accelerate that vision. Mitsui has extensive global experience developing, investing in and operating businesses in the digital, infrastructure and energy sectors, and through this partnership, will further expand its business activities in Africa. Mitsui will assist Cassava Technologies by providing access to…

The Shoprite Group has entered into a joint venture with its existing Checkers Sixty60 logistics partner, the RTT Group in which both parties will own 50%. The transaction follows on from the rapid growth of Shoprite’s pioneering on-demand grocery solution Checkers Sixty60 in which RTT On-Demand, a division of the RTT Group, has played a pivotal role in last-mile logistics. The joint venture will advance the technology, learnings and intellectual property created to date as well as enable continued development in the digital and customer experience in line with Shoprite’s ecommerce plans.  The transaction, which envisages Shoprite Checkers holding a…

The truth is, all businesses are at risk of being scammed at some point, and just one incident can cost a company millions of Rand. Ryan Mer, CEO, eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee (KYP) platform provider, says that fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and attack corporate payment systems and it’s critical that we all work together and share information to remain one step ahead of scammers. Accounts payable fraud is one of the most damaging and is common in companies large and small, targeting the department responsible for paying suppliers and other vendors. A report…

Huawei and Telkom have supported a 5G live stream of Africa’s endangered penguins to highlight role of 5G and supporting technology for conservation and environmental protection as well as other 5G use case. The live stream from Boulders Beach in Cape Town, home to the largest group of African Penguins in South Africa, hosted on Telkom’s 5G temporary network, was broadcast to Huawei’s global and local social media platforms. Hosted by conservationist and wildlife TV presenter Lauren Arthur, the live stream not only gave viewers the chance to experience the unique penguin colony, it also illustrated 5G’s potential as an…

Volvo Cars has been recognised for its sustainability strategy by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing an A-score for its actions aimed at cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks and becoming a climate-neutral company. This places Volvo Cars in the highest tier of CDP’s climate change list, together with only a smaller number of companies. More than 13,000 companies participated by disclosing data on their environmental impacts, risks and opportunities, and Volvo Cars’ high score reflects its position as a leader in environmental ambition and climate action. “We are very proud to see that our hard work to cut emissions and becoming…

Technology has improved vastly over the years, and with vehicle technology, in-car systems and infotainment, that’s the expectation from customers too. Today, car system technology advancements continue in the new Lexus Interface multimedia system. From mobile apps that can connect to a driver’s vehicle and save their favourite temperature to improved Bluetooth connectivity — upgraded and enhanced multimedia features abound in the latest Lexus models or those soon to launch. There are lots of impressive state-of-the-art and new-tech features with the Lexus intuitive and easy-to-use system. Bigger, Better and No Glare An available 14-inch smartphone-like touchscreen allows for intuitive and…

Mauritius Telecom and Showmax today announced a ground-breaking partnership to bring live football coverage from SuperSport to my.t customers and football fans in Mauritius. SuperSport features the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, English Premier League, FA Cup, Serie A, and La Liga matches, plus a wide range of live sport from SuperSport, including pro boxing, international marathons and athletics* on top of the full Showmax entertainment catalogue.  highlighted that: “This alliance could not have come at a better time and we are delighted that our customers will be able to follow the UEFA Champions League as it heads into the…

Mukuru, one of the largest remittance companies in Africa and a leading next-generation financial services platform, has announced that its Mukuru Card has been activated for online purchases in South Africa, allowing holders of the card to take part in the eCommerce revolution even if they don’t hold traditional bank accounts. Mukuru CEO Andy Jury says one of the promises of FinTech is financial inclusion, and so making the Mukuru Card available for online purchases made sense. “The pandemic has seen a big shift towards online payments at a range of retailers and service providers. As part of our belief…

The country’s communications watchdog has issued the final Invitation To Apply (ITA) in respect of the licensing process for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum, also known as the high-demand spectrum. ICASA said the ITA will be published in the Government Gazette today. The publication of the ITA follows a period of over three months of consultation undertaken by the Authority through the publication of the first and second Information Memorandum (IM) on 1 October 2021 and 15 November 2021 respectively. The consultative process was premised on the truncated timetable outlined by ICASA in terms of a notice published on…

BYJU’S, the most valuable EdTech company in the world with 115 million students on its learning platform, has announced the acquisition of Austria-headquartered GeoGebra. This acquisition complements India’s BYJU’S overall product strategy and integrates GeoGebra’s capabilities to enable the creation of new product offerings and learning formats to its existing mathematics portfolio. It furthers BYJU’S aim to make math more engaging, leading to better learning outcomes. This synergy of two like-minded companies will bring comprehensive, personalised and immersive learning experiences to all students, the company said. GeoGebra will continue to operate as an independent unit within the BYJU’S group under…

Dynamite comes in small packages, so they say – and it’s certainly true of this small package. Open it up and inside you will find the brand-new Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick, a pair of earphones of unparalleled style and quality that are sure to blow you away. Created at Huawei’s aesthetic research centre in Paris, the Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick is designed to look exactly like a stick of lipstick. Its exquisite workmanship makes a true fashion statement and signifies a new trend in ultra-chic design. Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick comes in a luxury-grade stainless steel body that uses sophisticated production processes to…

Discovery Bank and Vitality Money clients spent 600 million Discovery Miles, adding up to R100 million in purchases, this November, according to the CEO of Discovery Vitality. Discovery Bank extended its Discovery Miles Đ-Day, held on the 15th of every month, to include the full Black Friday weekend from 26 to 28 November. Miles Đ-Day is an opportunity for Discovery Bank and Vitality Money clients to get up to 40% off when spending their Discovery Miles in-store or online at partners – giving clients unprecedented discounts. “We’re pleased that our clients spent significantly at our partner stores, which was valuable economically.…

Volvo Cars has invested in the optical and imaging technology start-up Spectralics through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the company’s venture capital investment arm. The investment gives Volvo Cars access to promising technology at an early stage of development that could contribute to making cars safer and revolutionise in-car user experience. Coming from a background in aerospace technology development, Israel-based Spectralics creates state-of-the-art imaging and optical infrastructure spanning materials, hardware and software, enabling a wide variety of advanced optical capabilities. One of the company’s core solutions is the multi-layered thin combiner (MLTC) which is a new type of thin optics…

Entersekt, a global payment security company headquartered in Cape Town, today announced a strategic investment from Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity firm. The investment will enable Entersekt to accelerate its roadmap and fuel expansion into new markets. Rand Merchant Investment Holdings through AlphaCode, RMI’s incubator for fintech entrepreneurs has led two previous fundraising rounds and remains a significant investor. “We are very excited to have Accel-KKR on board. The industry is experiencing a wave of innovation in areas like omnichannel and passwordless authentication, 3-D Secure and open banking, all of which are strategic focus areas for Entersekt. The investment from Accel-KKR…

Global supply-chain disruptions could remain high until H2 2022 amid renewed COVID-19 outbreaks around the world, China’s sustained zero-COVID policy and demand and logistic volatility during Chinese New Year, trade credit insurer Euler Hermes said in a new report on Thursday. Nevertheless, the trade credit insurer expects trade growth to remain strong through 2022 and 2023, with some clear winners across regions and sectors, according to Euler Hermes’ Global Trade Report. Global supply-chain disruptions will remain high until H2 2022 After exceptionally strong performance since H2 2020, global trade of goods contracted in Q3, especially in advanced and emerging economies.…

South Africa’s retail giant Shoprite announced today it has appointed Paul Norman and Dawn Marole as independent non-executive directors of the board. Their appointment is effective 4 March 2022. “The Shoprite Holdings board welcomes Dawn and Paul and looks forward to their valued contribution to the Group,” the retailer informed investors. Marole holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Diploma in Tertiary Education and an MBA. She is an experienced corporate executive and human resources director and currently Executive Chairman of Executive Magic. In addition, Marole is an experienced non-executive director (NED) having served on various boards over the past decade…